Urging The Counties To Adopt Local Zoning Ordinances To Require Owners Of Agricultural-zoned Lands To Execute And Record Declarations That Acknowledge State And County Agricultural Land Use Regulations And Requirements And Penalties For Noncompliance.
This resolution is poised to impact how agricultural land use is regulated at the county level. By mandating declarations of compliance, local governments are encouraged to enforce and monitor adherence to agricultural regulations. This move may potentially reduce violations of land use regulations and ensure that agricultural lands are managed properly to meet production goals. Additionally, by promoting the active use of agricultural lands, the resolution aims to address the decline in land dedicated to active farming and ranching activities, thereby fostering greater agricultural output and creating more job opportunities in the sector.
Senate Resolution 97 serves as a directive urging counties in Hawaii to adopt local zoning ordinances that require the owners of agricultural-zoned lands to execute and maintain declarations acknowledging state and county agricultural land use regulations. This legislation is presented in light of the significant amount of agricultural land in Hawaii that remains underutilized for active farming, with reports indicating that approximately 50% of designated agricultural land is non-operational. The main intention behind this resolution is to enhance agricultural productivity, promote food security, and reinforce economic sustainability across the state.
While the resolution aims to foster local agricultural activity, it may generate discussions regarding the balance of regulatory oversight and individual property rights. Some landowners might view the required compliance declarations as an additional bureaucratic burden, complicating their land management practices. Furthermore, ensuring that information regarding agricultural resources and mentoring programs is available to all landowners poses practical challenges in implementation, particularly across different counties with varying resource levels and approaches to agricultural promotion.